Confession
by Willow-Bane
Summary: During a brief reprieve from the war with the Alvarez Empire, Natsu decides to confess something really important to Gray.


**Confession**

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Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail

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Summary: During a brief reprieve from the war with the Alvarez Empire, Natsu decides to confess something really important to Gray.

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 **Confession (Rated T)**

Zeref had suddenly vanished, saying to everyone on both sides that now was a time for reflection, a time to decide whether they would continue with this war or back down. He would give them one day. "Tend to your wounded," he'd said. "Mourn your losses," he'd said. "Say your goodbyes," he'd said.

Exhaustion. Devastation. Helplessness. Those were the words circulating through the minds of the Fairy Tail guild members as they reunited at the remains of their guild. Cries of anguish and tears of joy echoed throughout the members.

And Natsu felt he was to blame for it all. Trembling, he ran a shaking hand through his hair and let out a weary breath. What was he going to do?

"Natsu."

The dragon-slayer turned around sharply, his eyes widening as they landed on Gray. Gray! How could he have forgotten? He needed to tell Gray…before it was too late.

"Natsu, are you even listening to me?" continued the ice mage.

"Sorry. What?"

Gray approached Natsu swiftly, raised his hand and traced the scar on the dragon-slayer's face. "I asked where this came from."

"Oh," replied Natsu. He gently pushed Gray's hand away. "Zeref."

Anger flared in Gray's eyes. "Zeref," he spat. "He's going to get what's coming to him."

Natsu stared at the ground. Zeref would get what was coming to him? The dragon-slayer wondered what that would really be.

"What's wrong, flame-brain? I half expected you to start running off to find Zeref again," Gray mused, expecting to rile up the dragon-slayer. He was wrong.

Natsu shook his head and stared off into the distance. "I promised Happy I wouldn't," he whispered.

Gray sighed. He didn't like this Natsu, this Natsu who looked like he'd given up. "Seriously, what's wrong with you? You're not acting like yourself."

"I'm not acting like myself? I'm not _acting_ like myself?! Look around you!" Natsu shouted, earning the attention of his fellow guild members. "This is my fault!"

Happy immediately flew over to Natsu and landed on his head. "Calm down, Natsu. It's not your fault."

"Yes, it is! I didn't kill him!"

"That's because I didn't let you!" Happy said furiously, leaping off the dragon-slayer's head and staring him in the eyes.

"What are you talking about, Happy?" asked Lucy.

The Exceed suddenly seemed ashamed of his outburst. He looked at Natsu as if asking for permission; the dragon-slayer just shrugged and turned his back to him. "I…I wasn't completely honest when I said we decided to temporarily retreat from our fight with Zeref."

" _We_ didn't decide anything," Natsu spat. "I could have killed Zeref. Happy stopped me."

Gray rounded on Happy. "Why would you do that?! Do you have any idea how this war would have changed if their leader had been taken down?"

Happy whimpered. "You don't understand," he replied.

"What don't we understand?" cut in Erza. "If he could have been stopped—"

"Natsu would have died!" Happy yelled. Everyone froze. Natsu tensed.

Lucy opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to find the right words. "I don't…I don't understand. Happy? Natsu?"

Happy glanced hesitantly toward his friend. He noticed the tension in Natsu's shoulders, as if the weight of the world rested on them, which it probably did.

Natsu slowly turned around and looked his friends over. He took a deep breath. "If Zeref dies…I die, too."

Gray felt as though someone stabbed him in the heart. "Why? How?" What the hell was going on?

"Let's just say…I'm bound to him by magic," replied Natsu, staring up at the sky forlornly. "Zeref made that very clear."

"What kind of sick, twisted bastard is he?" roared Gray. "There's got to be some way to reverse it!"

Natsu shook his head before looking Gray straight in the eyes. It was the most heartbroken look the ice mage had ever seen. "I need…I need to tell you something…before it's too late."

Gray swallowed hard and nodded.

"Gray, during our lives in Fairy Tail, we've always been side by side, as rivals, as friends, as…b-brothers. At least, I-I see it that way. We've always been there for each other, had each other's backs, supported one another." Natsu stepped closer to Gray until they were nearly nose to nose.

Gray nodded again, not sure where this was going.

"I want you to know that…I really care about you. You mean so much to me," continued Natsu. "Geez, why is this so hard to say?"

The ice mage leaned back a little. _Is he confessing to me? He sounds like he's confessing to me!_

 _Oh, my god!_ Lucy thought wildly. _Is this a confession?!_ Her thoughts echoed nearly everyone else's.

"Before this…war goes any further, I need you to know that I…I…"

Juvia pulled on her hair. _Natsu-san is so bold to confess to Gray-sama!_

Gray felt his cheeks heat up as a blush started appearing on them. _Here it comes_.

"I…I'm E.N.D."

"Love rival!"

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Eeh?!"

Gray blinked at Natsu a few times. "Come again?"

Natsu fidgeted nervously. "I'm E.N.D."

The ice mage let out a shaky breath. "You really had me going there for awhile."

"Huh?" This was not the reaction Natsu was expecting.

"I thought you were going to say you loved me," said Gray, feeling a tad relieved.

Natsu's brows furrowed in confusion. "I _do_ love you."

"Love rival!"

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Eeh?!"

Gray felt his heart slam into his chest as the blush came back full force. "E-Excuse me?!"

"I love you. That's why I'm telling you I'm E.N.D."

The ice mage gaped a few times before responding. "R-Romantically?"

Finally, what Natsu had said dawned on him. A blush now stained his cheeks. "N-Not like that, you perv! And besides, I tell you I'm E.N.D. and you're hung up on me telling you I care about you? What gives?!"

Gray had to admit that Natsu had a point, but the whole 'Natsu is E.N.D.' thing didn't make any sense. "Where is this even coming from? What makes you think you're E.N.D.? We saw the book. Together, I might add. How could you be E.N.D. if you're standing right in front of me?"

Natsu clenched his fist at his chest just above his heart. "Zeref said."

"And why would you believe him? He's the Black Wizard. He's the reason we're all in this mess."

"He," started Natsu as he continued to clench at his chest, "took out the book. Zeref knew I didn't believe him. So he took it out…and he dropped it on the ground. He stabbed it. He stabbed the book with his magic. I felt it! It hurt so much! I felt it! I'm E.N.D. and I don't know what to do, Gray. I know you made a promise to destroy E.N.D., but I can't bear the thought of someone I care about having to kill me. So maybe…if I…if I go after Zeref a-and kill him, you won't have to worry about fulfilling your promise. I'll take care of it. But please, _please_ don't hate me! I didn't know. I didn't know!"

Natsu dropped to his knees and buried his face in his hands. A sob wracked the dragon-slayer's body as the weight of what he'd been keeping trapped inside started pouring out. Was Gray going to hate him? Kill him right here?

Gray didn't know what to do. How was this possible? The one he'd promised his father to destroy…was his best friend? He didn't understand. "Natsu?" Gray began, kneeling next to him. He tentatively placed a hand on Natsu's back. "Hey."

"Mm?"

"I…I don't know what to think right now. I don't even know if I fully understand."

"I'm E.N.D. Etherious Natsu Dragneel. How clearer can I be?" Natsu said, head snapping up.

Gray swallowed hard. If this was true…there had to be another way other than…the alternative. "We'll figure this out. Together. That's what best friends are for. You're not going to die. I won't let you."

Natsu let out a shaky breath. "Thanks, Gray," he replied softly. "I won't let you or anyone else die, either. Not if I can help it.

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 **End**


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